Fresno, CA – In advance of today’s vote by the State Water Resources Control Board, the City of Fresno today made the following statement by City Manager Bruce Rudd:

“The City of Fresno has been a leader when it comes to water conservation and is already in compliance with many of the restrictions proposed by the State Water Resources Control Board. In fact, we’ve seen an overall reduction of over 30% by Fresno water users since 2008, with a 10% reduction from January to May this year over the same time period in 2013.

“While we have already implemented a strong water conservation program, we continue to experience a dramatic drop in our groundwater levels. This ongoing reduction, combined with elimination or reduction of our surface water allocations, requires that we consider implementing additional measures that are needed to mitigate the impacts of extended periods of heat and drought conditions, regardless of today’s decision by the board.”

[NOTE: The City of Fresno has water conservation experts available to talk about the proposed statewide restrictions as well as specifics on the City’s water conservation policy.]